Ion channel sensors have several applications including DNA sequencing, biothreat detection, and medical applications. Ion channel sensors mimic the selective transport mechanism of cell membranes and can detect a wide range of analytes at the molecule level. Analytes are sensed through changes in signal patterns. Papers in the literature have…

In this paper, the development of an automatic assessor is presented, both in MATLAB and in Excel, for an analytical exercise. In particular, the emulation of an interlaboratory exercise, using the analytical determination of phosphorus in a dry detergent, carried out in the laboratory by different groups of students, was selected as a case of…

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and principal component analysis (PCA) are frequently used for analytical purposes in research and industry, but they seldom are part of the chemistry curriculum or laboratory exercises. This case study paper describes the combined application of LIBS and PCA during a research internship for an…

The analysis of spectroscopic data to solve chemical structures requires practical skills and drills. In this context, we have developed ULg Spectra, a computer-based tool designed to improve the ability of learners to perform complex reasoning. The identification of organic chemical compounds involves gathering and interpreting complementary…

Instructional videos have been prepared using Adobe Captivate software to create animated tutorials to capture instrument and molecular modeling software simulations and to allow for increased independent hands-on instrument use by students and faster training for instructors and teaching assistants. The videos are available on YouTube and can be…

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy is a powerful, label-free technique to monitor noncovalent molecular interactions in real time and in a noninvasive fashion. As a label-free assay, SPR does not require tags, dyes, or specialized reagents (e.g., enzymes-substrate complexes) to elicit a visible or a fluorescence signal. During the last…

Few laboratory procedures describe the use of circular dichroism (CD) at the undergraduate level. To increase the number of laboratory exercises using CD, a thermal denaturation study of myoglobin using CD is described to assess protein stability. Values obtained from a more classic linear data analysis approach are consistent with data analyzed…

In this article, we present an overview of a suite of light and spectroscopy education materials developed as part of Project LITE (Light Inquiry Through Experiments). We also present an analysis of how introductory college astronomy students using these Project LITE materials performed on the Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI)…

Kinetics constitutes a core topic in both the lecture and laboratory components of lower- level chemistry courses. While textbook examples can ignore issues of time, temperature and safety, the laboratory can not. Reactions must occur slowly enough to be detected by students, occur rapidly enough for data collection in the few hours assigned to a…